Inner Surfer Girl

When I tell someone I am or I will pray for them I do it then. So, yes, when I tell someone I am praying for them it is literal.

Some ideas for meeting people: Attend Bariatric support group for your program. I used to go to the Decatur Y, the Water aerobics classes are very social. There may be a y out your way. Did I see you had Kaiser? Kaiser has group therapy as well as classes (fitness, cooking, etc.) Some of the hospitals also have classes. Art classes (ceramics, painting, etc) are fun to do and a great way to meet people. Get involved at your local library. Find a church if you don't have one already and that is something you practice. Start or join a book group.

What part of town do you live in? One thing I don't miss about Atlanta is SITTING IN TRAFFIC. It definitely impacts quality of life.

Praying. Vertigo SUCKS! Been there, done that.

Me! And I haven't had surgery yet.

Heck, they even make the pet food commercials look appetizing.

I like journey but haven't put much thought into it. I do have lots of adventures along that journey with times of rest and a few excursions along the way.

I no longer live in Atlanta but have lots of friends there after living there 30 years. I just saw another post that said you were depressed because you have no friends and my heart goes out to you. I am an introvert who has learned how to reach out and make friends. The city can be a lonely place if you don't know anyone. What is your situation? Are you new to the area? Are you mobile/active? Do you work outside the home? If you are able, the first thing you need to do is get out of the house. To make friends, you need to be open and available to be a friend. Do you have a support group? Do you go to Church? Do you belong to a YMCA or gym? Do you have any hobbies? I can help you brainstorm ideas if I knew more about your situation. All the best.

What does the food plan provided to you by your surgeon/NUT say?

I considered myself a closet liberal-arts major at an engineering school. I understand completely. I had a boyfriend who was honors Mechanical Engineering and seriously didn't know the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

As close as you are to surgery it's not about having "bad" foods (ie too many carbs, fats, fried, etc.), it about texture and possibly doing serious harm to your very fragile, recently traumatized digestive tract. I sounds like what you are doing is the exact opposite of what you need to do to heal. I agree with the above posters that you need to seriously seek help with your team, your post sounds very self-destructive.

I am not an attorney, but I work in training and development. I would definitely recommend you break your studying down into 12-15 minute chunks and schedule in walking and drinking your fluids. A normal, healthy person should move around/walk hourly. Since you will be recovering from surgery you will probably need to move/walk more often. I know how easy it is to get absorbed in what you are doing and suddenly and realize you haven't moved in hours! Best of luck!

I am larger than you and my surgeon hasn't said anything about me being too large. Have you met with your surgeon. So many variables go into the decision that you really have to have a personal consultation. You will never know for sure if you are a candidate for surgery until you ask.

General Weight Loss Surgery > Food and Nutrition There are several sub forums (for recipes/phases, etc.)

I have never watched this show before this season when I've caught a couple of episodes. (From personal experience any kind of competitive weight loss is a disaster waiting to happen -- physically, mentally, and socially). From what little I have seen of this show it glorifies the worst kind of disordered eating and exercise bulimia.

Bumping this post because I have seen so many repeated questions asking about post-surgery food plans.

Here is an excellent article from the Boston Globe on how to respond to someone who makes rude comments about your weight. I happen to wholeheartedly agree with the advice. It is rude and tacky to comment on someone's appearance. http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/11/08/advice-how-shut-fat-shamer/JKE06xIgCc69xNGVefV2PI/story.html

What do you mean no one goes there? It seems like there is a lot of useful info and recipes on the thread with current posts. If someone is looking for food and recipe ideas that would be the logical place to look.

It's under General Weigh Loss Surgery. There are sub forums for each stage. It's listed as Food and Nutrition.

You may want to put this thread in the food forum.

GNC lean shake 25 is good (I like orange).

I am pre-op so don't have specific experience on post-op food shopping but I have plenty of experience in having a tight budget. -Read labels (but try to eat food that doesn't have a lot of ingredients ie, whole foods, commodities) -Buy in-season -Try generic and store brands -Compare price per serving (example: large tub of yogurt versus individual cups) -Use your freezer -stay away from highly processed/packaged foods -shop local (do you have a farmers market or CSA available?) Best of luck. I am sure others would have some experience to share.

Sounds tasty. You might want to post this on the food board so it's easy to find.

Have fun! Take an interest in some of the new people you meet and be happy for the bride and groom.

I am allergic to air fresheners and the oil diffusers in particular really irritate my eyes, but you did inspire me to dig out a couple of nice CDs (my surgery manual says each room has a cd player).